1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ladder used on a safety gate which allows a small animal to traverse the safety gate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Safety gates are commonly used in homes with small children or animals in order to prevent the child or animal from gaining access to a specific area or room. Safety gates are also used to prevent children from falling down a stairwell. Some safety gates are of a pressure type mounting whereby the gate is adjusted to fit into an opening and then locked into place. Such gates are not recommended to be placed at the top of stairwells since a small child could dislodge the gate from the opening. Other safety gates are of a walk-through design where one side of the gate pivots about a hinge and the other side engages a latch mechanism. The walk-through gates are fixed to the opening by fasteners and are recommended over the pressure type gates for use in stairwells.
Some households in addition to having a small child or large animal, such as a dog, also have a cat or other small animal. Cats, especially indoor cats, generally have a litter box somewhere in the house. Because of the offensive odor of a litter box, the homeowners usually place the litter box in an area of the house less frequently used. A popular choice for a homeowner to keep a litter box is in the basement or lower level of the house. Keeping a litter box in the lower level of the house and using a safety gate at the top of the stairwell however, inevitably traps the cat in the basement until the gate is opened or removed since in most cases a cat will not jump from one side of the gate to the other.
There exists a need for a device to allow a small animal such as a cat to traverse a safety gate in both directions while still preventing a small child or other animal from getting over or through the gate.